Spicy Stir Fried Chicken and Fresh Mangoes

Heat from the chilies tempered by the sweetness of ripe juice mangoes balanced by the bold tanginess of balsamic vinegar. Lovely, lovely dish.

48shares

It’s not a good idea to browse food websites just before bedtime. We know that very well. Instead of inviting relaxation, excitement sneaks in and it’s hard to shake off. I was looking for inspiration when I chanced upon Melissa Clark’s Black Pepper Chicken Thighs With Mango, Rum and Cashews. As I got ready for bed, I still couldn’t get rid of the mental image of a fruity savory dish. Watching one episode of Narcos wasn’t enough to erase it. Before I fell asleep, in my mind, I had already cooked a dish of spicy stir fried chicken and fresh mangoes. In my sleep, bright yellow mangoes colored my incoherent dreams.

The next day, although still feeling half full from the delicious breakfast we had (Alex baked herbed bread the previous night), I started prepping my chicken and mango dish. Alex is not a fan of nuts so I ditched the cashews. It’s much too hot and humid for anything alcoholic so I took rum off the ingredients list as well. The thought of adding balsamic vinegar did not occur to me until the chicken was already in the wok. I tasted the pan juices, found the flavor a little wanting so I drizzled in about a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar to give it a boost.

The heat of chilies is lovely but too much can numb your taste buds. Well, unless you grew up in a culture where spicy food is the norm. I like chilies but if the heat is the exclusive sensation in my mouth, I don’t find it particularly appetizing. So I temper the heat with something sweet. In this case, the heat from the chilies was tempered by the sweetness of ripe juice mangoes. The sweetness was, in turn, balanced by the bold tanginess of balsamic vinegar.